Disclaimer: I don't own Zatch Bell

Disclaimer: I don't own Zatch Bell. Okay? Good.

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Guardian Angel

A mamodo is essentially an oni. An oni, in Japanese folklore, is essentially a demon. So, one could rightfully call a mamodo a demon.

When I first met a mamodo, I thought 'demon' was a perfect title for them. Especially for that… thing. That thing's name was Zophise. I despise that name to the very core of its being.

You see I have a very good reason for hating this one particular mamodo. When I was little, my mother constantly told me how pathetic I was. No matter what I did, I never pleased her. The feeling of… worthlessness… got so overwhelming that I decided I needed to end it. So, at a very young age, I tried to take my own life. I jumped off a bridge on rainy day.

I should've died but instead, another little girl saved me. She told me that I had to keep walking through my darkness, even if it seemed hopeless. Because if I didn't, the happiness that waited for me would be lost forever.

Her name was Koko.

Koko and I became the best of friends. Even though I was a millionaire's daughter and she was a poor girl, we stayed friends well into our teens. I tried to make her hard life easier and protect her from the accusations of the townspeople. In return, she became the only source of goodness and hope in my life. We felt happy and safe with each other.

But that happiness wasn't to last for long. At the age of eighteen, I found out that Koko had been accepted into a very prestigious university. I drove to the village as fast as I could to tell Koko the good news. But when I arrived there, I found the town in a sea of flames. I rushed into the town to find my friend. But when I spotted her, the nightmare began.

She had said she'd been the one to turn the town into this fire ocean. She said she enjoyed making the townspeople pay for what they had done to her. I tried to reason with her, but found it of no use. That's when I spotted that thing.

Soon, he told me of the mamodo battle to become king. Then he said how he enjoyed manipulating the human heart. That's when I understood. He had twisted Koko's pure, caring heart and made it a vengeful, hateful one. After, Koko told me to leave her alone or she would kill me with her new power. When I refused to move, Koko read a spell from Zophise's book. When they thought the spell had hit me, they left.

The spell never touched me.

Right before the spell hit me, a different demon jumped in the way and saved me. When the smoke had cleared, a black book was thrown down in front of me. I then looked up into the face of what would later become my partner in this battle. He told me that if I could read his book, I would become his partner. I opened the book under the dark demon's cold stare only to find that I could read it. I, naturally, agreed to make him the king of his world if he helped me save Koko.

The demon's name was Brago.

And that was how I came to be in the battle for 'mamodo king'. But, I soon learned that my goal to save Koko was a long way off.

Brago, at first, was wild and violent. He would often threaten me to try to get me to do what he wanted me to do. But I would have none of that and soon he understood that he wouldn't be able to force me to do anything.

I hated him and all of his kind when I entered the battle. Demons indeed! All they had done to me so far was cause me pain. So, I adamantly decided that all mamodo were like Zophise. All were evil and dangerous.

At first, he always called me weak and complained about how it would be better if the mamodo didn't have to be partnered with weak humans. He constantly listed my faults and weaknesses. I would always be berated for being so weak.

It was like being trained by my mother again.

But, as time went on, Brago became calmer and easier to be around. He ceased calling me weak. Instead of lecturing me about how badly I did in a battle, he would give me slight compliments. What had started out as pure hatred became, after a long time, a rocky friendship. When we battled, we started to understand each other better and better. Soon we almost never had to speak to each other in battle. Brago became an even stronger mamodo than he was before. I like to think that I became stronger and more confident as well.

I still hated other mamodo, mind you. They had yet to redeem themselves in my eyes. But Brago became different… Brago became special.

So that's what brings me here, laying on my back in an open field far away from civilization. It's ten o'clock at night and we've been here for a while in order to let me rest.

What do I mean by we? I mean myself and the mamodo sitting next to me. As I lie staring up at the stars, he sits up and looks at the horizon with his clouded eyes.

Probably keeping watch for the other teams. I think with a snort.

No sooner had the sound escaped my lips than Brago turned his head to look down at me.

"You should be asleep," he says in his deep, raspy voice.

"I thought I should stay awake in case another mamodo finds us," I answer with a smile. I've never been able to trick Brago into thinking I'm sleeping

"I can do that. You need rest," he says and turns back to the horizon.

I decide to provoke him a little. "You should get some sleep yourself," I say, knowing that he next to never sleeps.

"I don't need rest," he answers, just like usual.

"Right," I say sarcastically.

Brago shoots me a look that I barely catch in the darkness. I, of course, ignore his dark glares.

"Just go to sleep," he says.

"Alright, alright," I say as I turn onto my side, facing him.

My name is Sherry Belmond and I've been traveling around the world with my mamodo partner Brago for the past year. Although I have already freed Koko and defeated Zophise, I still fight as hard as I did before. I have a different reason for fighting now. My reason is that I will make Brago the mamodo king no matter what happens to myself.

A mamodo is essentially an oni. An oni is essentially a demon. So, you could rightfully call a mamodo a demon.

But I don't.

Demons are creatures that drag humans into the depths of hell. Some mamodo, take Zophise for example, I would call demons. To me, it depends on their personality and what they do to other living beings.

My mamodo isn't a demon. He guides me, protects me, trains me, and keeps me from falling into the darkness.

My mamodo is a guardian angel.